Emergency-brake for autovehicles.



A. L. RAY.

EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR AUTOVEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. 1914.

mm, Patented July 27, 1915.

. 1 1/ ZZ I 3,51%

D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED L. RAY, OF VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

EMERGENCY-BRAKE FOR AUTOVEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1914. Serial No. 876,721.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED L. RAY, a citizenof the Dominion of Canada, residing at Victoria, in the Province ofBritish Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Emergency- Brakes for Autovehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an anti-skid' vision is made by which, whenout of use, it

may be folded up beneath the running board of the car; and as, when theanti-skid slipper is introduced under the wheels those wheels should befree from driving connection with the engine, provision is made wherebyduring the latter part of the movement to apply the slipper and beforethe slipper is introduced under the tire tread the driving clutch iscooperatively released.

The mechanism is particularly designed to be simple inconstruction andeffective in its action and adapted for application to existing cars.

The particular means by which these re sults are attained is fully setforth in the following specification, reference being made to thedrawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation the slipper brake as applied to anautomobile, the dot and dash lines representing the position of thebrake when out of use. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the meansfor lifting the disengaged brake into its out of use position, forretaining it in that position and for releasing it when required. Fig.3, an enlarged detail of the retaining means and its release. Fig. 4: isa sectional elevation illustrating the connection of the slipperoperating mechanism with the engine clutch release lever. Figs. 5 and 6are enlarged details illustrating the connection between the push rodfrom the slipper rocking shaft and the clutch release lever. Fig. 7 is aplan showing the rocking shaft and its attachments, and Fig. 8 is anenlarged detail in plan of the brake slippers.

In these drawings 2 represents the side Patented July 27, 1915.

frames of the car adjacent to the. driving wheels which are representedby 3; 4 is the runnlng board and 5 the bottom board or floor of the.body. Mounted in brackets 6 secured to the side frames 2 to project just1n advance of the driving Wheels 3 is a rocking shaft 7, on each end ofwhich a.

rocking arm 8 is secured in the approximate plane of each wheel 3.

Pivotally connected to the end of 'eac rocking arm 8, which are of suchlength that when hanging free their lower ends are close to theroadlevel, and projecting from them toward the tread of the wheel, is abrake slipper 9, preferably made as an open frame conforming in crosssection to that of the wheel tire, and having anti-skid chains 10 of anysuitable design applied across the underside of the rectangularaperture.

Y Projectingv forward from the pivot 11 of each shoe 9 is a spur 12,which when-the rocking lever is turnedv upward against the running board4., will engage the underside of it and will fold the slipper 9 againstthe frame 2, as shown in dot and dash lines.

The rocking shaft 7 is partially rotated I to the slippers 9 from theroad level and agalnst the underside of the running board 4, by a smalldiameter reel 15 secured on the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawing,

to which reel is secured a flexible line or chain 16. v The other endofthe line 16 passes through an eye 17 in a lever 18, which may form anextension of the-emergency brake lever, and adjacent the eyeis connectedto an enlargement 19 on the end of a bar 20, which bar is slidablehorizontally in a guide and stop 21 downwardly pro- 1 jecting from aconvenient part of the ve hicle frame.

The underside of the bar 20 is provided with notches, which by theweight of the bar will engage the member' 21 through which it slides andwill be retained by it.- i

retained the lever 18 may be returned to] its normal position, the eye17 moving on the line 16.

To free the slipper brake mechanism from this out-of-use position andpermit it to fall to the road level, as indicated by the full lines inFig. 2, a bell-crank treadle lever 22 is pivotally mounted at 23 to thefloor of the vehicle and the shorter arm of this lever is connected to alifting stirrup 24 through which the rod passes, so that when the pedalis moved in the direction of the arrow the rod is lifted and the ratchetteeth of its underside are freed from engagement with the supportingmember 21 and the slipper mechanism is free to fall from its upfoldedposition toithe ground in front of the driving wheels when they will beimmediately drawn under and will sustain the wear due to the stop.

In order to release the engine clutch simultaneously with the entranceof the slipper 9 under the tread of'the wheel an arm 25 is secured onthe rocking shaft 7 at a position in substantial alinement with thelever 26 by which the clutch is operated, and the end of this arm 25 isconnected by a push rod 27 to a pin 28 projecting from the clutch lever26, so that the movement of the rocker arms 8 move toward the wheel, aswhen the slipper brake is applied will move the clutch lever to releasethe clutch and disconnectthe engine from the driving wheels of thevehicle.

Connection of the push rod 27 to the pin 28 of the clutch lever 26 ismade in a particular manner, that the movementof the rocking shaft 7 inlowering the slipper arms 8 from the foot board toward the ground levelmay not effect the release of the clutch,but that that release iseffected during the movement of the arms 8 as the slipper is forciblydrawn under the tread of the wheel; and again the connection must besuch as will permit movement of the clutch lever to release when theslipper brake is in the out-ofuse position, and will permit movement ofthe clutch lever to connect the engine to the driving wheels when theslipper brake is in action. In Figs. 5 and 6, which illustrate thisconnection, Fig. 5 shows the relation of the push rod end to the pin 28of the clutch lever when the clutch is in its normal position of drivingengagement and the slippers and their rocker arms are folded up underthe foot boards. The slot 29 is here shown as of sufficient length topermit movement of the clutch lever to release the clutch, without thatmovement interfering with the slipper brake mechanism, and'the elongatedslot is produced backward on the other side of the normal position ofthe pin so that when the means? the slippers have fallen to the groundlevel the push rod will have moved until the end of its slot 29 hasreached the pin 28. The further movement of the rocking shaft, as whenthe slippers are drawn under the tread of the wheel, will move the lever26 over to efi'ect release of the clutch as shown in Fig. 6. n

. When the stop has been effected and it is desired to withdraw theslippers provision must be made whereby the clutch lever 26 may be movedto connect the reversed engine with the driving wheels of the car. Thisprovision exists in the supplementary slot 30 which is connected at ahigher level to the adjacent end of 29 so as to leave a slight detent atthe end of 29. Thus, when having reversed the engine, if the lever 26 ismoved slightly farther toward the release positionthe push rod will fallon the pin 28 and the clutch lever will be free to move to the clutchposition, the pin 28 traveling in the slot 30.

The brake is only designed to be used in an emergency and particularlywhere there is a liability to skid. The anti-skid provision on theunderside of the slipper not being in constant use as in the case ofskid chains on the wheels are not an encumbrance to the wheels underordinary travel as are tire skid chains and do not injuriously wear thetire while it is more effective in use.

If the slipper is properly constructed to bear against the tire adjacentthe pivot where it is connected to the rocker arms, the friction of asudden stop does not impose any severe strain on the rocker shaft or onthe brackets which support its bearing from the frame of the vehicle,for it will be noted that once the slippers are in place under the treadof the wheels, the wheels are stationary .in relation to the slipper.The rocker shaft brackets may be braced in any suitable manner to theframe or to the axle bearings of the driving wheels.

In use, the slipper brake is carried in conspicuouslv under the footboard, so that 7 it is clear of the roadway and is no disfigurement ofthe car, and from that position it may be immediately tripped into useby application of the foot to the pedal lever 22. After the stop hasbeen made the engine is reversed and run backward to release theslippers andthereafter the slipper mechanism may be drawn up to itsnormal position by the lever 18 and will be secured in that position bythe ratchet bar 20.

The mechanism is simple and direct and can be applied to existing carswithout material change.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare thatwhat I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

l. A slipper brake for auto vehicles comprising a rock shaft mounted inbearings secured to the frame of the vehicle in front of the wheels, anarm secured to each end of said shaft, and a slipper pivotally mountedon the end of each rocker arm, said slipper including a heel and meansfor rocking said shaft to lower said slipper into operative position orraise said; slipper whereby said heel will engage a fixed part of thevehicle for lifting the slippers clear of the road,

means for securing the slipper mechanism in the lifted position, meansfor releasing said securing means, and means cooperative with themovement of the slipper under the tread of the wheel for disconnectingthe engine clutch.

3. A slipper brake for an auto-vehicle, comprising a rocking shaftmounted in bearings secured to the frame of the vehicle in front of thedriving wheels, an arm secured on each end of the shaft in front of eachwheel-tire, a slipper pivotally connected to the end of each rocker arm,means for rocking the shaft to lift the slippers clear of the road,means for securing the mechanism in the lifted position, means forreleasing said securing means, and means cooperative with'the movementof the slipperunder the tread of the wheel for disconnecting the engine,clutch While permitting free movement of the clutch lever while theslipper mechae -or in the in use position. i

4. A slipper brake for an auto-vehicle or the like, said brakecomprising a rocking shaft mounted in bearings attached to the frame ofthe vehicle in front of the driving wheels, a lever secured to each endof the shaft in front of each wheel tire, a slipper pivotally connectedto the end of each lever the upper surface of which slipper conformsapproximately to the cross section and circumference of the tire of thewheel and the surface which contacts with the road is provided withanti-skid devices, means operative from the position of the driver forfolding the rocking shaft arms and their connected slippers up under thefoot board of the' vehicle, means operative from the same position forreleasing the slipper mechanism and permitting it to fall into action,and means cooperative with the slipper mechanism for releasing theengine clutch while the slipperis passing under the tread of the tire.

5. A slipper brake for an auto-vehicle, comprising a rocking shaftmounted in bearings attached to the frame of the vehicle in front of thedriving wheels, an arm secured to each end of the shaft in front of eachwheel tire, a slipper pivotally connected to the end of each arm andadapted to pass under the tread of the driving wheels, said slipperhaving a spur projection from the opposite side of the pivot, means forlifting the rocker arms and their connected slippers under the runningboard of the vehicle to bring said spurs into engagement with therunning board to fold said slippers against the same, means forretaining it in such position, and means for releasing it from suchengagement.

6. A slipper brake for an auto-Vehicle, comprising an elongated openrectangular frame conforming generally in cross section to the tire ofthe vehicle and having antifriction chains across the rectangularaperture, and means for introducing the slipper under the tread of thedriving wheels of the vehicle.

7. A slipper brake for an auto-vehicle, said brake comprising a rockingshaft mounted in bearings attached to the frame of the vehicle in frontofthe driving wheels, an arm secured to each end of the shaft in frontof each wheel tire, a sli'pper connected to the end of each arm andadapted to pass under the tread of the driving wheel, a-reel secured onthe shaft intermediate of its bearings, a flexible line secured to thereel and passing around its underside, a handle lever pivoted adjacentthe drivers seat in the vehicle, said lever having an eye through whichthe other end of the line passes, a bar having ratchet teeth on theunderside and an enlargement to which the line is connected adjacent theeye of the lover, a guide having an aperture through which the ratchetbar may slidably pass and against which the teeth of the bar will engageto retain the line when drawn tight by the lever, and a treadle leverhaving a stirrup end through which the end of the rack'bar passes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED L. RAY.

Witnesses:

ROWLAND BRrrrAm, MAY WHYTE.

